10,000 Dresses

Every night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses: dresses made of crystals and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of windows … Unfortunately, when Bailey's awake, no one wants to hear about these beautiful dreams. Quite the contrary. "You're a BOY!" Mother and Father tell Bailey. "You shouldn't be thinking about dresses at all." Then Bailey meets Laurel, an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey's imagination and courage. In friendship, the two of them begin making dresses together. And Bailey's dreams come true! This gorgeous picture book—a modern fairy tale about becoming the person you feel you are inside—will delight people of all ages.

Reviews:

"I had a graduate student come up to my reference desk the other day asking for picture books where the characters acted out non-traditional gender roles. When this happens (and it happens more than you would think) I tend to begin with the stories that can be interpreted multiple ways, like The Story of Ferdinand. Then I pluck out The Paper Bag Princess, Elena's Serenade, and William's Doll. The piece de resistance is our very special copy of X: A Fabulous Child's Story which you will not find circulating in just any library system, thank you very much. However, the book I most wanted to show off was 10,000 Dresses." —School Library Journal

"If you are a member of an LGBT family with young children, or the friend or ally of an LGBT family with young children, and want to expose your children to what the broad LGBT community looks like, you need to expose yourself and these children to the picture book 10,000 Dresses." —Pam's House Blend

"Marcus Ewert's 10,000 Dresses is a joyous book about self-acceptance and identity. It is also the only children's picture book that features an openly transgender protagonist, and does so with both sensitivity and celebration." —Philadelphia Gay News

"It is a wonderful story that lets you see the world through the eyes of a gender variant child." —Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Newsletter

"Great for any kid who knows someone who is different or who may feel a little different themselves sometimes." —Rainbow Rumpus

Marcus Ewert cocreated the hit animated series, Piki & Poko, Adventures in StarLand, currently being shown on MTV’s LOGO channel. He is writing a memoir about his time with Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs. He lives in San Francisco.

Rex Ray, a renowned graphic designer and fine artist, has a new retrospective book, Rex Ray: Art + Design, and gift lines available from Chronicle Books and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art store. His artwork has been exhibited at SF MoMA, University Art Museum in Berkeley, San Jose Museum of Modern Art, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, and elsewhere in the US. He has gained an international reputation for his innovative graphic design work for many organizations, including Apple, DreamWorks, Sony Music, Rizzoli, Bill Graham Presents, Matador Records, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, and City Lights Books.